‘No Police, No Systems’: Fury Mounts Over Puri Rath Yatra Stampede Lapses
PURI, Odisha, India—June 30, 2025: Eyewitnesses and grieving families are voicing furious condemnations over severe lapses in crowd control and security, claiming “no police, no systems in place” during the Puri Rath Yatra stampede on Sunday, June 29, 2025, that killed three devotees and injured 50 others. The incident near Gundicha Temple has evoked a public uproar seeking accountability and compensation against the official response and efficacy of arrangements for one of the largest religious festivals in India.
Eyewitness Accounts Detail Chaos and Negligence
Devotees at Saradhabali near Gundicha Temple vividly described witnessing scenes of utter chaos from an effective absence of crowd management. The stampede erupted in the timeframe between 3:30 and 4:30 AM after there were reports of two trucks unloading ritual materials (charamala wood) into an already-packed congregation area, setting off panic and a deadly surge. Eyewitness Chinmay Patra described how conditions became dangerous with “a narrow congregation site, combined with limited police presence and scattered palm log ladders near the chariots.”
There was no system in place at all, even when the crowd swelled near the chariot after darshan started at around 4 am, said Swadhin Kumar Panda, a local resident. While devotees were going from one side, a large crowd approached from the other, leading to chaos and jostling. He further alleged that a “new way was made for VIPs,” forcing common people into more congested routes and exacerbating the crush.
Grieving Families Demand Answers and Compensation
Grieving voices in want of an answer now howl for compensation, as the husband of Pravati Das (45), one of the three dead victims, asked without answer: “My wife and others would have been saved had there been any arrangement for smooth arrival of ambulances to the spot. There was no police deployment and no volunteers despite there being utter chaos. Who will compensate for my loss?” The same words found resonance widely among the grieving families and public opinion regarding the inadequacy of emergency response.
Dead have been identified as Basanti Sahu (36) from Bolagarh, Pravati Das (45) from Balipatna, and Premakant Mohanty (78) from Khurda district. Of the injured, six remain critical.
Official Actions and Political Fallout
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed deep sorrow, apologizing to the devotees and announcing a ₹25 lakh (around $30,000 USD) ex gratia payment to the king of each victim. Quickly, Collector Puri Sidharth Shankar Swain and Superintendent of Police (SP) Vinit Agarwal were transferred from their respective jobs, and two senior police officers, DCP Bishnu Pati and Commandant Ajay Padhi, were placed under suspension for dereliction of duty. An administrative inquiry has been instituted under the Commission of Anu Garg; the report is expected within 30 days of the initiation.
Despite these developments, the criticisms offered by dissenting parties, mainly Congress and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), have increased. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge called the “negligence and management” inexcusable, while former Chief Minister and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik called the incident a “glaring incompetence” in the face of the government.
Recurring Concerns Over Crowd Management
This stampede comes close on the heels of an episode that occurred on Friday, June 27, with over 750 devotees suffering from exhaustion and heat-related issues during the chariot pulling, once again laying bare the unending problem of managing the mass convergence of crowds for the Rath Yatra. Meanwhile, even after having involved 275 AI-enabled cameras with drones for monitoring and strong police forces being deployed, eyewitnesses reveal that it all failed to come into play at the moment of truth. The unfortunate incident is raised as a pertinent reminder regarding the utmost importance of meticulous planning and seamless execution in crowd control during a large-scale public event.
